Heating apparatus for the oil in the crankcase and water in the cooling system of internal combustion engines



5, P POLLACK El AL HEATING APPARATUS FOR THE OIL IN THE CRANKCASE AND'WATER IN THE COOLING SYSTEM OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed April27, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 5, 1938. POLLACK r AL 2,122,585

HEATING APPARATUS FOR THE OIL IN THE CRANKCASE AND WATER IN THE COOLINGSYSTEM OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed April 27, 1937 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 5, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ENGINESPaul Pollack and Nathan Pollack, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application April 27, 1937, Serial No. 139,306

4 Claims.

Internal combustion engines are not properly lubricated when the oil iseither congealed by cold or thinned by excessive heat. At present whenthe motor is not in use during cold weather,

the oil in the crank case, cylinder walls, etc., congeals causing greatdifficulty in starting and damage to the motor and battery. On the otherhand, while the motor is in operation and generating an intense heat,the oil tends to become too thin and, at present, there is no coolingsystem provided in the crank case to counteract this tendency.

The invention provides an automatic heating system designed to heat theoil and water and thus keep the motor warm while not in use; and acooling column in the crank case to keep the oil temperature down whilethe motor is running.

The objects of the invention are:

To prevent the motor from freezing and to keep it warm; to heat the oiland keep it from congealing when the motor is not in use; to increase ordecrease the temperature of the motor by controlling the circulation ofthe water through the radiator and to cool the oil in the crank casewhile the motor is running.

One form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,in which Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section of the entire inventionwith double heating units as attached to an internal combustion motor.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the oil pan showing the water cylinder,heaters and thermostats attached to oil pan.

Figure 3 represents the electric circuit connecting one heater andthermostat to regular 110 volt electric current and the other heater andthermostat to storage battery.

.Figure 4 represents a detailed view of a part of the invention, to wit,the thermostat and its housing.

Figure 5 is a vertical cross section of the entire invention containingbut a single heating unit.

Figure 6 represents a detailed view of a part of the invention, to wit,the water shutter.

The following is a detailed description of the invention:

Running through entire length of oil pan l,

, there is inserted a water cylinder 22, so that both ends project frompan l. Water outlet 3 mounted at top of front projecting end of cylinder2, is connected by means of hose 4 to outlet 5 which leads into thewater channel 6 in the engine. Water outlet I, mounted on bottom of rearprojecting end of cylinder 2, is connected by means of hose 8 to outlet9 which is mounted on rear hose of radiator return pipe I0. Shut ofivalves 26 and 21 are mounted on outlets 5 and 9. Tubes H-ll and IZ-l2are inserted into, and run through the entire length of cylinder 2-2projecting somewhat at both ends. 5 Heating elements I3l3 and 14-44 areinserted in tube II and I2 with suitable insulation.

Housings l5 and iii are built into the further ends of pan l oppositecylinder 2, each housing having an opening on the outside. Into hous- 10ings l5 and 16 are inserted thermostats I1 and I8.

The two metal contacts 26'--26 of thermostats I! and I8 are mounted onbakelite insulation 2'I--'2l' and fitted into insulation tube 3| whichfits snugly into housing IS. The double 15 wire coming from the contactprongs 26-26 run through the center of rubber plug '29 which is insertedinto the outer open end of housing [5 and held in place by two blockscrews 3036. Set screw 28 is threaded into bakeliteattached 20 to one ofthe prongs and is used to regulate the space between the contact points.

Coming from volt line, wire I9 is connected to one end of heatingelement [3. From the other end of heating element I3-wire 201s con- 25nected to one side of the thermostat l8. From the other side ofthermostat 18 wire 2| connects to the other side of 110 volt line asshown in Figure 3. Coming from one pole of the automobile battery, wire22 is connected to one end 30 of heating element It. From the other endof heating element l4, wire 23 is connected to one side of thermostatI1. From the other side of thermostat I 1, wire 24 connects to otherpole of the automobile battery, 25 as shown in Fig- 5 ure 3.

Fitted in between the upper radiator outlet and the outlet of the headof the motor is circular tube 40. Fitted snugly into tube 40 is circularshutter disc 32, in the center of which is 40 mounted a circular sleeve33. From an opening at the bottom of tube 40 pivot rod 3 3 is inserted.The upper circular portion of pivot rod 34 is slipped through circularsleeve 33, and thence through sleeve 36 which is mounted on the top 5contains two heating units, one connected to outside current and theother to a storage battery, 55

it must be understood that the use of two heating units is optional andnot absolutely essential and that the purpose of the invention iscarried out by the use of a single heating unit connected to outsidecurrent as shown in Figure 5. We have found, however, that more completeprotection is furnished by the use of two heating units, one of whichwould operate when connected to ordinary outside current as in a garage,and the other while the car is parked at the curb or other place wheresuch outside current is not available. It is also within the spirit andprinciple of this invention and will accomplish the same result to useone heating element which is tapped so that the entire element is usedwhen connected to outside current whereas only a portion thereof is usedwhen connected to the storage battery. We have found however that theuse of two heating elements is preferable for the heat is thendistributed through the entire length of the crank case.

It must be understood that the thermostatic controls may be set at anydesired temperature. We have found that when our heating unit is used,best protection is afl'orded by setting the thermostat at approximately75 degrees. when two heating units are used, we have found that the bestuse of the invention will be aflorded. when the thermostat controllingthe heater connected to the outside current is set at approximately 75degrees while the thermostat controlling the heater connected to thebattery is set at approximately 35 degrees.

It should be noted that while any standard make of electric resistancewire may be used in the construction of .the heating elements I3--l4,the heating element connected to the outside current has a high electricresistance whereas the one connected to the storage battery has anelecout loss of heat energy. By locating the heater in the crank casethe heat naturally rises and thereby. eliminates the necessity of havingany pump-driven circulation. The difllculty has been that the heatersheretofore constructed can not safely be immersed in the oil in thecrank case.

The heating systems heretofore constructed, being located on the outsideof the crank case, either do not heat the oil in the crank case at allor else heat such oil only indirectly and insufficiently and with greatwaste of heat energy."

Some of the present heating units are so constructed that the heatingelement is wrapped around a small portion of a water pipe thusnecessarily entailing a great waste of heat energy in the heating of thepipe itself and also by reason of the fact that the heater is exposed tooutside temperature. Being located outside of the crank case suchsystems necessarily employ special water pumps, driven by electricmotors. The danger of fire from having exposed heaters as well aselectric motors operating in the vicinity of combustible gases and whilethe motor is unattended is readily appreciated. Moving parts operatingwhile motor is unattended are to be avoided as being undependable andeven dangerous.

Our invention is primarily designed to be installed into and operated inthe crank case oil reservoir with the utmost safety. Thus our inventionheats the oil directly throughout the entire crank case without any lossof heat energy and the heat rises throughout the entire water systemwithout the use of any pumps and motors or other moving parts beingrequired.

This is accomplished by the novel arrangement of the heating element, towit, its insertion in the inside of a tube and completely surrounded bywater in a water jacket connected to the water cooling system, whichwater jacket is, in turn, immersed and completely and directly coveredby the oil in the crank case. The thermostats being located directly inthe oil assure a proper temperature of both the oil as well as thewater.

Our invention by its eflicient use of all the heat energy andelimination of the necessity for any motor driven pump, is operable by astorage battery, with only a moderate discharge therefrom.

The heat required may be further considerably reduced by the use of thewater shutter 32 which disconnects the radiator from the water coolingsystem.

If desired, the heat energy required may be still further materiallyreduced by the operation of the two shut-off valves 26, 21 which willdisconnect the water cooling system from the water jacket 2, and thuslocalize the heating to the crank case oil.

The operation of shut-off valves 28, 21 in combination with outlets Iand and hoses 4 and 8 enable the crank case pan I to be removed withease-and without draining the water from the water cooling system.

The use of the storage battery for the purpose of this invention becomeseven more practical when combined with an apparatus designed to rechargethe battery such as is disclosed by our invention of the automaticbattery charging combination and circuit, a patent for which we haveapplied for simultaneously herewith.

It is understood that the heating system herein disclosed may have morethan one heating element connected in series or parallel and located notonly in the crank case but also in any or all other parts of the watercooling system and the heating element or elements may be tapped at anynumber of points to increase or reduce the electric resistance; alsothat the electric heaters may be adapted to any voltage. It is obviousthat various other modifications may be made in the construction orarrangement oi parts without departing from the principles herein setforth.

We claim:

1. In an internal combustion motor, the combination of two electricheating elements, one being of low voltage and the other of highvoltage, each in an insulated tube completely -inclosed in a waterjacket which is built into the crank case of the motor and which water.jacket is connected to the motor water system by a feed and return pipe;the high voltage heating element being connected through a thermostat tothe high voltage electric current; the low voltage heating element beingconnected through a separate thermostat to the storage battery.

2. In an internal combustion motor, the combination of one electricheating element provided with taps so that the electric resistance ofthe .said heating element may be increased or decreased for alternateuse with high or low voltage, contained in an insulated tube completelyenclosed in a water jacket which is built into the crank case of;themotor and which water jacket is connected to the motor water system by afeed andrreturn pipe and controlled by thermostats.

3. In a combustion motor the combination of an inner tube or housing,water sealed and jacketed by an outer tube or housing which is connectedto the water cooling system of the motor, the

-' inner tube or housing containing one or more heating units to heatthe water in the outer tube outer tube to the water cooling system ofthe motor.

4. An oil and water heating apparatus for an internal combustion enginecomprising a tube runningthrough the entire length of the crank case,suitably welded to the same, with both ends of said tube projecting outof the crank case; an

outlet near each projecting end to receive suitable hose or pipeequipped with petcock, which pipes are connected to the water coolingsystem; the ends of the aforesaid tube to be sealed around an inner tubewhich is inserted into and runs through the entire length of theabove-described tube, which serves as an outer tube, the ends of theinner tube projecting from both ends of the outer tube, said inner tubebeing properly sealed or welded into the outer tube; one or moreelectric heating elements inserted into and running through the entirelength of said inner tube, suitable insulation therefor, and packed andcapped on both ends with removable caps; electric wire leads leading outfrom said caps; electric thermostat placed in oil crank case at furthestpossible distance from heater; means for connecting thermostat heaterand outside electric current.

PAUL POI-LACK. NATHAN POI-LACK.

